atomic : Idioms & Phrases

Index

atomic bomb

  • noun a nuclear weapon in which enormous energy is released by nuclear fission (splitting the nuclei of a heavy element like uranium 235 or plutonium 239)
    fission bomb; plutonium bomb; atom bomb; A-bomb.
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atomic clock

  • noun a timepiece that derives its time scale from the vibration of atoms or molecules
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atomic cocktail

  • noun an oral dose of radioactive substance used in treatment and diagnosis of cancer
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atomic energy

  • noun the energy released by a nuclear reaction
    nuclear energy.
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atomic energy commission

  • noun a former executive agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States
    AEC.
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atomic explosion

  • noun the explosion of an atomic bomb
    nuclear explosion.
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atomic mass

  • noun (chemistry) the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units
    atomic weight; atomic mass.
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atomic mass unit

  • noun unit of mass for expressing masses of atoms or molecules
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atomic number

  • noun the order of an element in Mendeleyev's table of the elements; equal to the number of protons in the nucleus or electrons in the neutral state of an atom of an element
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atomic number 1

  • noun a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
    H; hydrogen.
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atomic number 10

  • noun a colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube; one of the six inert gasses; occurs in the air in small amounts
    neon; Ne.
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atomic number 100

  • noun a radioactive transuranic metallic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons
    fermium; Fm.
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atomic number 101

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element synthesized by bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles (Md is the current symbol for mendelevium but Mv was formerly the symbol)
    Md; mendelevium; Mv.
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atomic number 102

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element synthesized by bombarding curium with carbon ions; 7 isotopes are known
    nobelium; No.
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atomic number 103

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element synthesized from californium
    lawrencium; Lr.
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atomic number 104

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element which has been synthesized
    rutherfordium; unnilquadium; Unq; element 104; Rf.
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atomic number 105

  • noun a transuranic element
    hahnium; element 105; Db; dubnium.
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atomic number 106

  • noun a transuranic element
    element 106; Sg; seaborgium.
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atomic number 107

  • noun a transuranic element
    element 107; Bh; bohrium.
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atomic number 108

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    Hs; hassium; element 108.
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atomic number 109

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    meitnerium; element 109; Mt.
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atomic number 11

  • noun a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt)
    Na; sodium.
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atomic number 110

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    darmstadtium; element 110; Ds.
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atomic number 111

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    roentgenium; Rg; element 111.
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atomic number 112

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    ununbium; element 112; Uub.
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atomic number 113

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    Uut; ununtrium; element 113.
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atomic number 114

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    element 114; Uuq; ununquadium.
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atomic number 115

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    ununpentium; Uup; element 115.
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atomic number 116

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element
    ununhexium; element 116; Uuh.
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atomic number 12

  • noun a light silver-white ductile bivalent metallic element; in pure form it burns with brilliant white flame; occurs naturally only in combination (as in magnesite and dolomite and carnallite and spinel and olivine)
    Mg; magnesium.
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atomic number 13

  • noun a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite
    aluminium; Al; aluminum.
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atomic number 14

  • noun a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors
    silicon; Si.
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atomic number 15

  • noun a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms
    P; phosphorus.
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atomic number 16

  • noun an abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)
    sulfur; S; sulphur.
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atomic number 17

  • noun a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; best known as a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt (as in sea water)
    chlorine; Cl.
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atomic number 18

  • noun a colorless and odorless inert gas; one of the six inert gases; comprises approximately 1% of the earth's atmosphere
    argon; Ar.
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atomic number 19

  • noun a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite
    potassium; K.
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atomic number 2

  • noun a very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; the most difficult gas to liquefy; occurs in economically extractable amounts in certain natural gases (as those found in Texas and Kansas)
    helium; He.
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atomic number 20

  • noun a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
    calcium; Ca.
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atomic number 21

  • noun a white trivalent metallic element; sometimes classified in the rare earth group; occurs in the Scandinavian mineral thortveitite
    scandium; Sc.
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atomic number 22

  • noun a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
    titanium; Ti.
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atomic number 23

  • noun a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadinite
    V; vanadium.
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atomic number 24

  • noun a hard brittle multivalent metallic element; resistant to corrosion and tarnishing
    Cr; chromium.
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atomic number 25

  • noun a hard brittle grey polyvalent metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic; used in making steel; occurs in many minerals
    Mn; manganese.
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atomic number 26

  • noun a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
    Fe; iron.
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atomic number 27

  • noun a hard ferromagnetic silver-white bivalent or trivalent metallic element; a trace element in plant and animal nutrition
    Co; cobalt.
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atomic number 28

  • noun a hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion; used in alloys; occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and millerite
    Ni; nickel.
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atomic number 29

  • noun a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor
    copper; Cu.
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atomic number 3

  • noun a soft silver-white univalent element of the alkali metal group; the lightest metal known; occurs in several minerals
    lithium; Li.
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atomic number 30

  • noun a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende
    Zn; zinc.
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atomic number 31

  • noun a rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element; brittle at low temperatures but liquid above room temperature; occurs in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc ores
    gallium; Ga.
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atomic number 32

  • noun a brittle grey crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors; occurs in germanite and argyrodite
    germanium; Ge.
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atomic number 33

  • noun a very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms; arsenic and arsenic compounds are used as herbicides and insecticides and various alloys; found in arsenopyrite and orpiment and realgar
    arsenic; As.
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atomic number 34

  • noun a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium; occurs in several allotropic forms; a stable grey metallike allotrope conducts electricity better in the light than in the dark and is used in photocells; occurs in sulfide ores (as pyrite)
    selenium; Se.
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atomic number 35

  • noun a nonmetallic heavy volatile corrosive dark brown liquid element belonging to the halogens; found in sea water
    bromine; Br.
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atomic number 36

  • noun a colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; occurs in trace amounts in air
    krypton; Kr.
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atomic number 37

  • noun a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite
    rubidium; Rb.
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atomic number 38

  • noun a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element of the alkali metal group; turns yellow in air; occurs in celestite and strontianite
    strontium; Sr.
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atomic number 39

  • noun a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys
    Y; yttrium.
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atomic number 4

  • noun a light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic element
    Be; glucinium; beryllium.
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atomic number 40

  • noun a lustrous grey strong metallic element resembling titanium; it is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber; it occurs in baddeleyite but is obtained chiefly from zircon
    zirconium; Zr.
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atomic number 41

  • noun a soft grey ductile metallic element used in alloys; occurs in niobite; formerly called columbium
    niobium; Nb.
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atomic number 42

  • noun a polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and tungsten in its properties; used to strengthen and harden steel
    Mo; molybdenum.
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atomic number 43

  • noun a crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uranium
    Tc; technetium.
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atomic number 44

  • noun a rare polyvalent metallic element of the platinum group; it is found associated with platinum
    ruthenium; Ru.
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atomic number 45

  • noun a white hard metallic element that is one of the platinum group and is found in platinum ores; used in alloys with platinum
    Rh; rhodium.
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atomic number 46

  • noun a silver-white metallic element of the platinum group that resembles platinum; occurs in some copper and nickel ores; does not tarnish at ordinary temperatures and is used (alloyed with gold) in jewelry
    palladium; Pd.
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atomic number 47

  • noun a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
    silver; Ag.
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atomic number 48

  • noun a soft bluish-white ductile malleable toxic bivalent metallic element; occurs in association with zinc ores
    cadmium; Cd.
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atomic number 49

  • noun a rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite
    indium; In.
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atomic number 5

  • noun a trivalent metalloid element; occurs both in a hard black crystal and in the form of a yellow or brown powder
    B; boron.
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atomic number 50

  • noun a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
    tin; Sn.
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atomic number 51

  • noun a metallic element having four allotropic forms; used in a wide variety of alloys; found in stibnite
    Sb; antimony.
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atomic number 52

  • noun a brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur; it is used in alloys and as a semiconductor; occurs mainly as tellurides in ores of copper and nickel and silver and gold
    Te; tellurium.
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atomic number 53

  • noun a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; used especially in medicine and photography and in dyes; occurs naturally only in combination in small quantities (as in sea water or rocks)
    iodin; I; iodine.
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atomic number 54

  • noun a colorless odorless inert gaseous element occurring in the earth's atmosphere in trace amounts
    Xe; xenon.
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atomic number 55

  • noun a soft silver-white ductile metallic element (liquid at normal temperatures); the most electropositive and alkaline metal
    cesium; Cs; caesium.
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atomic number 56

  • noun a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite
    barium; Ba.
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atomic number 57

  • noun a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
    La; lanthanum.
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atomic number 58

  • noun a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group
    Ce; cerium.
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atomic number 59

  • noun a soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; can be recovered from bastnasite or monazite by an ion-exchange process
    Pr; praseodymium.
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atomic number 6

  • noun an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds
    carbon; C.
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atomic number 60

  • noun a yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs in monazite and bastnasite in association with cerium and lanthanum and praseodymium
    Nd; neodymium.
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atomic number 61

  • noun a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group having no stable isotope; was discovered in radioactive form as a fission product of uranium
    promethium; Pm.
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atomic number 62

  • noun a grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasite
    Sm; samarium.
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atomic number 63

  • noun a bivalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group
    Eu; europium.
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atomic number 64

  • noun a ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group
    Gd; gadolinium.
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atomic number 65

  • noun a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite
    terbium; Tb.
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atomic number 66

  • noun a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; forms compounds that are highly magnetic
    dysprosium; Dy.
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atomic number 67

  • noun a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds
    Ho; holmium.
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atomic number 68

  • noun a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
    erbium; Er.
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atomic number 69

  • noun a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group; isotope 170 emits X-rays and is used in small portable X-ray machines; it occurs in monazite and apatite and xenotime
    thulium; Tm.
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atomic number 7

  • noun a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues
    nitrogen; N.
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atomic number 70

  • noun a soft silvery metallic element; a rare earth of the lanthanide series; it occurs in gadolinite and monazite and xenotime
    Yb; ytterbium.
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atomic number 71

  • noun a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium
    Lu; lutecium; lutetium.
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atomic number 72

  • noun a grey tetravalent metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically and is found in zirconium minerals; used in filaments for its ready emission of electrons
    hafnium; Hf.
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atomic number 73

  • noun a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite
    tantalum; Ta.
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atomic number 74

  • noun a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
    tungsten; W; wolfram.
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atomic number 75

  • noun a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum
    Re; rhenium.
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atomic number 76

  • noun a hard brittle blue-grey or blue-black metallic element that is one of the platinum metals; the heaviest metal known
    osmium; Os.
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atomic number 77

  • noun a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium
    iridium; Ir.
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atomic number 78

  • noun a heavy precious metallic element; grey-white and resistant to corroding; occurs in some nickel and copper ores and is also found native in some deposits
    platinum; Pt.
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atomic number 79

  • noun a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia
    Au; gold.
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atomic number 8

  • noun a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
    O; oxygen.
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atomic number 80

  • noun a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
    mercury; quicksilver; Hg; hydrargyrum.
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atomic number 81

  • noun a soft grey malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air; it is highly toxic and is used in rodent and insect poisons; occurs in zinc blende and some iron ores
    thallium; Tl.
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atomic number 82

  • noun a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
    Pb; lead.
    • the children were playing with lead soldiers
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atomic number 83

  • noun a heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically); usually recovered as a by-product from ores of other metals
    bismuth; Bi.
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atomic number 84

  • noun a radioactive metallic element that is similar to tellurium and bismuth; occurs in uranium ores but can be produced by bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactor
    polonium; Po.
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atomic number 85

  • noun a highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series); a decay product of uranium and thorium
    At; astatine.
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atomic number 86

  • noun a radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health
    Rn; radon.
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atomic number 87

  • noun a radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegration product of actinium
    Fr; francium.
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atomic number 88

  • noun an intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores
    radium; Ra.
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atomic number 89

  • noun a radioactive element of the actinide series; found in uranium ores
    Ac; actinium.
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atomic number 9

  • noun a nonmetallic univalent element belonging to the halogens; usually a yellow irritating toxic flammable gas; a powerful oxidizing agent; recovered from fluorite or cryolite or fluorapatite
    fluorine; F.
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atomic number 90

  • noun a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands
    thorium; Th.
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atomic number 91

  • noun a short-lived radioactive metallic element formed from uranium and disintegrating into actinium and then into lead
    protoactinium; protactinium; Pa.
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atomic number 92

  • noun a heavy toxic silvery-white radioactive metallic element; occurs in many isotopes; used for nuclear fuels and nuclear weapons
    U; uranium.
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atomic number 93

  • noun a radioactive transuranic metallic element; found in trace amounts in uranium ores; a by-product of the production of plutonium
    Np; neptunium.
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atomic number 94

  • noun a solid silvery grey radioactive transuranic element whose atoms can be split when bombarded with neutrons; found in minute quantities in uranium ores but is usually synthesized in nuclear reactors; 13 isotopes are known with the most important being plutonium 239
    plutonium; Pu.
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atomic number 95

  • noun a radioactive transuranic metallic element; discovered by bombarding uranium with helium atoms
    Am; americium.
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atomic number 96

  • noun a radioactive transuranic metallic element; produced by bombarding plutonium with helium nuclei
    Cm; curium.
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atomic number 97

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding americium with helium
    berkelium; Bk.
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atomic number 98

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particles
    californium; Cf.
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atomic number 99

  • noun a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons
    E; einsteinium; Es.
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Atomic philosophy

  • or Doctrine of atoms, a system which assuming that atoms are endued with gravity and motion accounted thus for the origin and formation of all things. This philosophy was first broached by Leucippus, was developed by Democritus, and afterward improved by Epicurus, and hence is sometimes denominated the Epicurean philosophy.
Webster 1913

atomic physics

  • noun the branch of physics that studies the internal structure of atomic nuclei
    nucleonics; nuclear physics.
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atomic pile

  • noun a nuclear reactor that uses controlled nuclear fission to generate energy
    chain reactor; pile; atomic pile.
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atomic power

  • noun nuclear energy regarded as a source of electricity for the power grid (for civilian use)
    nuclear power.
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atomic reactor

  • noun a nuclear reactor that uses controlled nuclear fission to generate energy
    chain reactor; pile; atomic pile.
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atomic spectrum

  • noun (physics) a spectrum of radiation caused by electron transitions within an atom; the series of spectrum lines is characteristic of the element
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Atomic theory

  • noun a theory of the structure of the atom
  • noun (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles
    atomism; atomist theory; atomistic theory.
    • the ancient Greek philosophers Democritus and Epicurus held atomic theories of the universe
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  • or the Doctrine of definite proportions (Chem.), teaches that chemical combinations take place between the supposed ultimate particles or atoms of bodies, in some simple ratio, as of one to one, two to three, or some other, always expressible in whole numbers.
Webster 1913

atomic warhead

  • noun the warhead of a missile designed to deliver an atom bomb
    nuke; nuclear warhead; thermonuclear warhead.
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atomic weapon

  • noun a weapon of mass destruction whose explosive power derives from a nuclear reaction
    nuclear weapon.
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Atomic weight

  • noun (chemistry) the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units
    atomic weight; atomic mass.
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  • (Chem.), the weight of the atom of an element as compared with the weight of the atom of hydrogen, taken as a standard.
Webster 1913

gram-atomic weight

  • noun the quantity of an element whose weight in grams is numerically equal to the atomic weight of the element
    gram atom.
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international atomic energy agency

  • noun the United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy
    IAEA.
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relative atomic mass

  • noun (chemistry) the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units
    atomic weight; atomic mass.
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